Trimming machine for rubber goods



March 23 19 26.

' 1,577,508 2 H. E. WILLS Tamara; momma FOR RUBBER GOODS Filed August 4. 1924 5 s tsps et 1 March 23 1926.

- I H. E. WILLS TRIMMING MACHINE FOR RUBBER GOODS Filed Augut 14, 924 's Sheets-Sheet 2 -NWU March 23 1926. I 1,577,508

H. E. WILLS TRIMMING MACHINE FOR RUBBER GOODS Filed August 14. 1924 s She ets-Sheet 3 I In". unulunmnuu u muulunnl m. ummulmu m iii March 23 1926.

1,577,508 H. E. WILLS -TRIMMING momma F03 RUBBER GOODS Filed August 1:3, 1924 6 sheets-sheet 4 TIE i PflfJELlg 6 Sheets-$heet 5 H. E. WILLS TRIMMING MACHINE FOR RUBBER GOODS Filed August 14, 1924/ J March 23 1926.

f March 23 1926. 1,577,508

H. E. WILLS TRIMMING MACHINE FOR RUBBER GOODS 4 izlid August 14, 1924 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 [I .l

Patented Mar. 23, 19.26

- [TED stares HARRY n. wILLs, on vnontunt BROOKFlELI), MASSACHU$ETT- TRIMMING MAUHINE FOB RUBBER GOODS.

Application filed. August 14, 1924. Serial No. 732,127.

. To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY E. WILLS, of

- North Brookfield, in the county of VVorcester and State of Massachusetts, a citizen of the United States, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Trimming Machines for Rubber Goods, .of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification in explaining its nature.

My invention relates to an improvement in machines for trimming rubber goods though it may have other uses. The necessity' for such machines has long been known in the art and among others Patent No. 1,281,461 was issued to M. B. Wills, executrix", October 15, 1918, on the invention of Arthur J Nills, and the present application is for a patent for improvements on a machine of the character. described in that patent, these improvements relating mainly to the table or work-holder adjustments.

I have shown in the drawings my invention embodied in its preferred form.

Figure 1 is a side elevation, and

Fig. 2 a front elevation of such machine.

Fig. 3 is a plan, the top plates of the machine being removed to disclose the mechanism below. Fig. 4 is an elevation, the front of the casing being removed showing the cutter separating mechanism.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section of one of the 1 table supports,

Fig. 6 being a vertical section taken at right angles to Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is an elevation of one of the table supports.

Figs. 8 and 9 are, respectively, a front elevation and plan of a work support to be used in place of the table.

1 is a base on which is mounted a casing 2 within which is the operating mechanism. 3 is an electric motor of any suitable kind connected with a current source. 300 is a switch controlling the motor circuit. This motor is suitably supported and carries a shaft 4 on the end of which is a worm 5 within the casing and mesh with a worm gear 6 mounted on shaft 7. This shaft also carries a gear 8 which is in mesh with the gear 9 on shaft 10. The shaft 7 passes out through a ball bearing end thrust 7 2 in the rear of the machine and has preferably a hand Wheel 11 by which it may be turned by hand if desired. On its front end it carries a rotary cutter 12 and the shaft 10. also canries a rotary cutter 120, the two cutters overlapping and in lateral contact as is customary in this class of machines. The front portion of each casing carries a bushing 70,

103, through which passes the shafts 7 and l 10. These bushings extend in front of the casing and to each is attached a sleeve 105, 71, which may be adjusted towards and from its cutter and set in place in any desired way, for example, by screwing onto the end of the bushing, or by a set screw as shown at 104. These parts being stationary will act as protectors to the shaft which they enclose so as to prevent rubber cuttings from winding around the shafts.

Ithas been found desirable in this class ofm-ac'hine to be able to adjust the amount of overlap between the two cutters and for this purpose I have provided the means shown particularly in Fig. 1. The shaft passing out through the casing of the ma.- chine lies in *verticalslots 13 in the casing so that it may be raised or lowered and it is held from longitudinal movement in one direction by an end thrust ball bearing 100 of ordinary construction having a knurled nut 101 and a set nut 102 all inside the easing on which the end thrust bearing 100 bears. The bushing so-called of the shaft 7 has a similar thrust bearing located on the inside of the casing. Thus these shafts are arranged so that the, cutters after the shafts are properly adjusted are prevented from longitudinal movement. The shaft 10 runs in bearings in the horizontal member 1410 of a bell crank lever on the shaft 15 which :is supported inthe front and rear walls .ofthe casing. This horizontal member comprises a plate the centre of which is cut out to allow the gear 9 to project upward through it and it carries a piece 141 on which the set screw 21 bears.

The inner surface of the cutter 120 engagesthe outer surface. of the cutter 12 so that the shaft 10 is held from longitudinal movement by the end thrust bearing 100 at one end and the contact between the cutter 120 and the cutter 12 at the other end.

The vertical arm '14 of this bell crank lever is forked as at 16 and in the fork lies a pin 17. which projects from the rod "18 One end of this rod is keyed in a bearing on one sideof the casing as at *19 to have alongitudinal but not a rotary movement. The

other end of the rod is threaded and carries a nut 20 the head of which is outside the casing so that by turning the nut 20 the rod 18 will be moved longitudinally, moving with it pin 17 and the vertical arm of the lever 14 and thus adjusting the height of the shaft 10 and its cutter 120.

The rod'18 has about it a spring 181 which lies between the boss 182 on the inner side of the casing (see Fig. 4) and the vertical arm of the lever 14 which tends to force the vertical arm of the lever 14 to the right (see Fig. 4).

Bearing on the plate 141 of the bell crank lever there is a screw 21 which passes down through a threaded opening in the top of the casing. The lower end of this screw rests upon the plate 141 so that by turning the screw 21 and the nut 20 not only is the shaft 10 either lowered or raised, but when lowered or raised the proper amount it may be clamped by the screw 21 and the nut 20, etc.

Thus the position of the shaft may be raised or lowered to. change the position of the upper cutter with relation to the lower cutter so that greater or less overlap is given to the cutters or the cutters properly adjusted after grinding which of course changes their diameter. The teeth of the gears 8 and 9 are cut sufliciently deep to allow their shafts to be separated somewhat by such adjustment.

The lever 14 is designed to permit the substitution of gears of different sizes on the upper shaft 10 and thus allow the use of cutters of different diameters to be used as required.

On the base 1 are adjustably mounted arms 23 and 24 connected by a cross plate 234 which arms project forward beyond the top of the base and support the work table 35. (See Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 7.) For this purpose there is mounted on each adjustable arm a post 25. These posts are threaded at their lower ends and each passes down through its arm 23 or 24 and is clamped thereto by nuts 251.

The upper end of each post 25 is tubular as at 26. Around each post is a slidable sleeve 31 through which passes a pin 32 on which rests a spring 33 in the tubular portion 26 of the post 25. The upper end of this spring rests against a screw plug 34. A slot 30 is provided in each post 25 through which the pin 32 passes so that its sleeve may be given a movement with relation to the 0st. p 29 is a slide cam which also slides in slots 30 in the post 25 and in slots 301 in the sleeve 31 and on which the pin 32 of each sleeve rests so that height of the sleeve with relation to the post 25 may be adjusted.

The upper tubular portion of each post 26 is also slotted as at 321 and passing through each sleeve 31 and the slot 321 is a hinge pin 36 which screws into a boss 137 which is part of the table or work support 35. It will be thus seen that the table is supported at each end by a hinge pin the normal height of which may be regulated by means of the nuts 251 which act on the post 25, and in addition it may be adjusted by the action of the cam slide 29 on the pins 32 which are positively connected to the sleeve 31. Thus the table may be set for work of a given class and may be thereafter adjusted to trim a particular article which may have its individual requirements. It is of course clear that by raising one of the posts 25 by means of its nuts 251 one of the ends of the table 35 may be at a higher level than that of the other end of the table so that the table may be slanted a slight angle to the horizontal. This is sometimes desirable.

It will be noted from Figs. 2 and 5 that the cam slide 29 has two depressions 290, each located in operative relation to one of the pins 32, each depression gradually rislng to the level 291. By moving the cam slide the height of the posts 25 and the table 35 may be adjusted.

The lateral movement of the cam slide 29 to change the height of the table 35 is given it by the handle 47 which is pivotally attached to the table at 48 and is connected by a brace 49, having a ball bearing connection 50 to the cam slide 29. Thus throwing the handle 47 to the left (see Fig. 2) will move the cam slide 29 to the left and cause the pins 32 to ride up the inclines 290, onto or towards the higher portions of the cam slide 291, thus lifting the work table from the position shown in Fig. 2 to a higher position, that is, a position nearer the cutting point of the two cutters.

The handle 47 preferably runs under a metallic strap 470 fastened to the under side of the table and may be used to change the angle of the table when the clamping screws 37 are in position to release the segment 361. Other means of attaching the handle to the operating parts and of operating those parts may be used if thought best. The cam slide has a groove 293 and two clamps 350 each having a set screw 294, the ends of which can be screwed into the groove to attach the clamps to the slide. These set screws 294 are arranged one on each side of one of the sleeves 31 and may be adjusted into position so as to limit the throw of the cam slide by engagement with the sleeve as the cam slide is moved. The table therefore has two adjustments for height, first, what may be termed a permanent or normal adjustment given by the nuts 251 by which the table may be adjusted for a certain class of work which is to be undertaken, and second, the temporary or finer adjustment given it by the handle 47 by which it may be moved upward or downward where such adjustment isrequired in trimming a particular piece of-worki To adjust the angle of. the table to the knives so thatthe work may be delivered to them-at aproper angle- I provide a segment 361; which is slotted at 360' and through which; passestwo clamp screws 37 each having a collar. 37(1 which rests on the face of the segment and a nut 371' on the other side of the se ment the two serving as a clamp so. that when properly adjusted the segment will be clamped between the collar 370 and the nuts, the screws 37 having first been brought into contact with the adjacent sleeve 31, (see Figs. 2 and 8) so that the segment is prevented from movement by the screws 3.7 and the sleeve 31.

As it is very often desirable that the knives or; cutters shall be lubricated I have shown at 57 a tank which may contain water or oil, or other desired liquid, which is supplied" with the ordinary needle valve so as to feed the liquid very'slowly. Below this tank is a throat40having an ordinary sight feed 41 and" below the throat 40 is a coupling 42 connecting with the tube 43 which in turn isconnected with the delivery 44. By means of the tube the lubricating material is fed to the delivery.

Between the coupling 42 and the throat 40 I have shown a bracket of suitable shape which carries at its lower end an adj ustable extension carrying a shield 46. This shield is a curved piece concentric with the upper cutter 120 and of inverted V'-shape in cross section and in practice the delivery 44 is connected to deliver the lubricator into the shield 46. from which it flows to the cutters; This shield covers the top of the cutter 120 andminimizes the danger to the operator in his work .co-operating' with the plate 462 in rear of the cutter. In practice the plate. 462 also assists in distributing the lubricant from the delivery 44 to the cutters and may be of suflicient area to assist in. lubricating the lower as well as the upper cutter and for this purpose may approach quite closely or even touch the surface to be lubricated. In addition a further shielding means may be provided for the cutter if desired.

The bracket 45 is preferably slotted and attached to the top of the casing by screws 451 so that it may be easily removed and readjusted as occasion may require. v

There is a type of work which does not require a table of the character described. For such work I mount on one of the arms, say 24, a post 60 carrying two collars 61 and 62 clamped to the post by screws 610, 620, the post being attached to the arm 24 by means of nuts 63. Between the collars 61 and 62 there is carried a block 64 having a hole therethrough in which is carried an arm 65. The collars being adjustable on the post, the height of the block and arm 65 may be adjusted. The block 64 is capable of being swung about the post 60. The arm 65 is capable of being turned about its axis by means of the handle 66 and when once located in proper position, it is set by a set screw 67. Thus it may be set to feed the work at any desired angle to the cutters. At its outer end it carries a spindle 68 set in ball bearings 69 of ordinary construction so that, for example, a disk-like piece of work set onto thespindle may be trimmed and will be fed automatically by the grip of the cutters on the edge of the work. It will be seen that the ball bearing allows to be turned with a minimum of friction.

Above I have described a machine embodying my invention in a form which is simple and has proved itself of value. It may be altered in detail and yet still embody my invention as set forth in the claims. It may be operated by an individual motor as shown or power may be applied to it in any other desired way. As a practical matter other and more complete means for protecting the operator from being cut by the cut ters may be added to or substituted for those shown. Such means are well known in the art and as they form no part of my invention are not herein described.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A machine of the kind described comprising cutter blades, :1- table, means for pivotally supporting said table, means for establishing the normal height of said table support and means whereby said table support may be raised and lowered a limited distance with relation to its normal height.

2. A machine of the kind described comprising cutter blades, a table and means whereby each end of the table may be adj usted independently to bring the table to a normal position and means whereby the height of'the ends of the table may be adjusted simultaneously b the same amount.

3. Amachine of the liind described comprising cutter blades, a table and means for supporting the table whereby each end of the table may be adjusted independently to bring the table to a normal position and means whereby the height of the ends of the table may be adjusted simultaneously by the same amount, said last named means comprising a member having cam surfaces in operative relation to the table supports at each end of the table.

4. A machine of the kind described comprising cutter blades, a table and means for supporting the table whereby each end of the table may be adjusted independently to bring the table to a normal position and means whereby the height of the ends of the table may be adjusted simultaneously by the same amount, said last named means the table and means for throwing said cam member.

6. A. machine of the kind described comprising cutter blades, a table and means for supporting the table whereby each end of the table may be adjusted independently to bring the table to a normal position and means whereby the height of the ends of the table may be adjusted simultaneously by the same amount, said last named means comprising a member having cam surfaces in operative relation to the table supports at each end of the table and means for throwing said cam member and means for limiting the throw of said cam member.

7. In a machine of the kind described, a table support comprising posts, each post having a sleeve thereon, means for support ing said table on said sleeves comprising hinge pins, each post being slotted near its lower end, a pin passing through each sleeve and each slot, and means engaging saidpin whereby said sleeve will be lifted.

S. In a machine of the kind described, a table support comprising posts, each post having a sleeve thereon, means for supporting said table on said sleeves comprising hinge pins, each post being slotted near its lower end, a pin passing through each sleeve and each slot, each post being tubular and havingtherein a spring, means for restraining the upper end of said spring, the lower end of said spring resting on said pin.

9. In a machine of the kind described, a table and means for supporting it at each end comprising posts and hinge pins supported thereby, and means for adjusting and setting the table to a desired angle about said hinge pins comprising a slotted segment attached to the under side of said table and set screws passing through the slot in said segment, one on each side of each post and adapted to cooperate with said post to lock said table in place.

10. In a machine of the kind described, two cutter shafts, means for mounting one of said cutter shafts whereby it may be moved towards or from the other cutter shaft, said means comprising a bell crank lever, one arm of which carries said shaft, and means for adjusting the position of said arm whereby the position of said shaft will be changed with relation to the other shaft.

11. In a machine of the kind described, a table and means for supporting it at each end comprising posts and hinge pins supported thereby, and means for adjusting and setting the table to a desired angle about said hinge pins comprising a slotted segment attached to the under side of said table and et screws passing through the slot in said segment, one on each side of said post and adapted to co-operate with said post to lock said table in place.

12. In a machine of the kind described, a shaft support comprising a bell crank lever, a screw suitably supported and adapted to engage and adjust the position of one arm of said lever, and a. rod and means for moving it longitudinally, said rod carrying a pin in operative connection with the other arm of said lever, a spring on said rod also engaging said last named arm whereby it will tend to hold it in a predetermined position.

13. In a machine of the kind described, a table support comprising posts, each post having a sleeve thereon, means for supporting said table on said sleeves comprising hinge pins, each post being slotted near its lower end, a pinpassing through each sleeve and said slot and means engaging both pins whereby both sleeves.

will be lifted simultaneously and both ends of the table will be lifted a like distance 14-. In a machine of the kind described a stationary shaft carrying a cutter and having a fixed bearing and a second shaft also carrying a cutter, a lever carrying said second shaft comprising a lever and means for adjusting the height of the free end of said lever comprising a screw and means for clamping said lever against the action of said screw whereby the position of said shaft may be adjusted and locked.

HARRY E. WILLS. 

